Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-30
THE IOWA CONVICT SYSTEM,
What to Do With Them Puzzling the Peo.
pie of the Hawkeye State.
oAKLAND's DREADFUL CALAMITY
Further Particulars Of the Disastrous
Fire Which Visited That Thriv-
ing Town-News From All
Over Iowa.
lowa's Imprjsoucd Citizens.

NICl liUOI IL Ollt III NllCll tilc ptODlV Vi I'"u
are beginning to take considerable interest.
The various labor organizations are disposed
to make that issue in future politics. and
many other people are inclined to agree with
them in asking that it be abolished. The last
legislature took sufficient interest in the
matter to request the commissioner of labor
statistics to make personal investigation of
the working of the system in other states,
with view to such recommendations as
should seem best to him, when he prepared
his annual report. Commissioner llutchins
Is now in the east on a mission of that Kind
There is very strong sentiment In the state
that honest labor ought not to be forced into
competition with convict labor, while on the
other hand, there is some feeling that
the state ought to get some re-
turn from the convicts whom
it is supporting at public expense.
There are several large contracts carried on
at the state penitentiary at Fort Madison,
but the falling off in attendance upon this
reformatory and educational institution has
reduced the number of workmen so that
there are not enough to complete them.
Some of the contractors have petitioned Gov
ernor Larrabee to transfer enough prisoners
from the Anamosa penitentiary to enable
them to complete their contracts and meet
matter of fact the number of convicts in the
penitentiaries of the state is something like
fifty less than it was year ago. This raises
a new phase to the convict labor question,
and it Is said that the Governor Is not at all
favOrably disposed to do anything to COM
nit the state further to the system. 1t is not
improbable that the next legislature will take
| decided action on the subject.
A QUIETUS PUT UPON A CONSTABLE.
The acton of the federal court last week
| in what are known as the Pierce cases, will
| have tendency to make that individual
| temper his zeal in the enforcement of prohi-
| bitIon with some wholesome discretion.
| Armed with the authority of a constable
from one of the ad oinng townships he has
been very active in prosecuting violations of
the liquor law, and has made himself a holy
terror to the saloons. But there is a well de-
| fined impression abroad in the land that
| Constable Pierce has been inspired more by
| love of the fees than by love of the cause in
| the work he has done lie is adaredevll sort
| of fellow, and with self-cocking revolver
| within reach all the time, has gone ahead
| rOugh-Shod, and few people cared to stand in
his way Some time ago he seized carload
| of beer on the ground that the persons to
whom it was consigned had no permit to re-
celve it, When an attempt was made to take
it from him by order of the United States
it with his revolver. Now he has been
brought before the court for contempt, and
| old Judge Love- who has the old federal love
for the majesty of the court. has dropped
down upon him with tremendous force. lie
says that constable acting without warrant
| of law or judicial process has no more right
| to Interfere with the services of United
| States marshal than has any other citizen,
| and he proposes to make cOnstableS more
careful hereafter and less reckless in their
| zeal for enforcing prohibition. Pierce also
| pnnatratpd tbp pOStpt1ipp occasion
| and interrupted the employees on the plea
that he was searching. for liquor or for
man who had violated the law, and the
federal court has found him guilty of OBJ
structing the mail and has taught him that
he must respect the law, even while trying to
enforce it. 1t is thought that this discipline
will have good effect upon Pierce and
make him more discreet In the future. lie
| has public sympathy in all legitimate meth
DDS of enforcing the law, but he has neither
| sympathy or support in some OF the rash and
indiscreet and unjustihable attempts he has
made.
THE SUCCESSOR TO JUDGE ROGERS.
The question OF successor to TIE late
Judge Rogers, of the district court of Daven-
port, is attracting good deal of attention in
that locality. There are some considerations
that make the selection of more than ordl-
nary interest. The district is along the
Mhii,isspp, In the demoeratle ana antpT9
| the labor vote Judge Rogers, republican,
was elected last fall so it Is conceded that a
republican will be appointed by the governor.
But the temperance people are very anxious
that the man chosen shall be one who will
actively enforce the prohibitory laws, as far
as lies in his power. The ant-prohibtion-
lists are hoping for a man who will not take
any special interest in that matter; so both
sides have sent their preferences to the
| governor. The temperance alliance is said
to favor j. Scott Richmond of Muscatne
and the governor has been informed of this
preference; Other candidates named are
Hon. c. NJ. Waterman and Hon. George
llubbell, of Davenport, hon. l.. "A. Ellis and
ex-Judge G. W. Chase, of Clinton, and John
county: 1t is thought that the governor will
make the appointment some time this week
HEARING GOOD FRUIT.
The action of the railroad commissioner:
in the Glenwood case fixing the maximum
ss other s noads tSoa Soa the Last IG fall r thu
state normal school at Cedar Falls took 10
tons of coal over the Burlington, Cedar Rap
ids II Northern road and paid rate of Sl.f'
| per ton for hauling it l65 miles. Now with
out waiting for action by the commissioners
I the railroad has liked its rate for the san
e service at Sl.40 per toll, thus making n savin!
' to the state of 80 cents per ton on this han
| of l65 miles. If other roads of the state fol
low the same course in reducing rates accord
g ing to the principles laid down in the Glen
1 wood case, the state, as well as individua
q shippers, is going to be much richer for tn
| change.
/ CELEBRATING EDITORIAL ANNIVERSARIES
luz veteran tullOIS Dl tllt Stdte are ell
gagged in celebrating anniversaries, markin
significant epochs in their work upon tn
, Iowa press. Several have lately complete
j twenty-o years of continuous service upo
\ the papers with which they are now con
nected, and are rejoicing at having obtaine
, their majority. Editor Junkin, of the Fa
:, . field Ledger is one OF the ranking veteran
OF tine corps lie has just completed thirty
) | four wears of service upon the Ledger, an
}. he discusses this long period OF work wit
4 much tenderness and feeling interest TheI
, are but two other newspaper men in the stat
= who have record that equals his in length
The are John Mahin, of the Muscatine JOu
nal, and the elder Booth of the Anamos
:, Eureka. OF late years there has been man
y fest tendency toward stability and perm
nency in the Iowa press. and there are fewt
= changes relatively than there were in II
"a earlier days of the state AS the state b
q comes more stable so do its papers, ana II
), Iowa editors will soon compare in years c
" service with those of any state.
SUPREME COURT BUSINESS.
Since all of the sessions of the suprem
court were located at the capital, each teri
q brings very heavy docket But with I'll
n advantages OF location and access to the I'm
+" law library in the state house, the Judges al
e able to dispatch business with greater faclit
II than ever before. The June term of Il